Valley Early Reading Programs
receive more than $6.7 million in federal
funds
 WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman
Niki Tsongas and representatives from the
Department of Education presented more
than $6.7 million in federal funds last
month to the Greater Lawrence Community
Action Council (GLCAC) and Lowell’s
Community Teamwork Incorporated (CTI).
The funding will be used by each
nonprofit organization to improve the
school readiness of Merrimack Valley
children, particularly those from
low-income families, through the
promotion of early childhood reading.
Both organizations were among just 31 out
of more than 350 applicants nationwide to
receive funding for the Early Reading
First program. They were the only two
organizations to receive this grant
funding in the state of Massachusetts.
GLCAC’s Early Steps Towards
Read-ing, Education, Language and
Literacy Acquisition (EStRELLA) program
re-ceived $3,976,257 which will allow
them to serve 235 low-income children at
sites in the greater Lawrence area
including the Methuen YMCA where the
check presentation took place this
afternoon.
The $2,766,184 in federal funds received
by CTI and their partner organization the
Education Development Center will support
Lowell’s Enhanced Approach for
Developing Early Readers (LEADER)
program. The program aims to work in 10
classrooms, potentially reaching 525 of
Lowell’s children during the 3 years
of the project. LEADER will also
implement an intensive professional
development program for nearly 30 Lowell
staff.
At today’s check presentation
ceremony Congresswoman Niki Tsongas said,
“early childhood reading is a
critically important component of
childhood development and contributes
greatly to a child’s ability to
arrive at school ready to learn and
achieve. We are fortunate to have two
outstanding programs here in the
Merrimack Valley that are helping young
children to read at an age appropriate
level and I am so pleased that the
Department of Education has provided this
significant amount of federal funding to
each.”
GLCAC Associate Director Chick Lopiano
added, “this grant is a milestone in
advancing literacy among children in the
greater Lawrence area. We are pleased to
be one of the thirty-one national
receipts for this grant, two of which are
in the Fifth District, and the only ones
granted to community action agencies in
Massachusetts.”
Karen Frederick, executive director of
CTI said, “Community Teamwork, Inc.
(CTI) is very pleased to be awarded the
Federal Early Reading First Grant with
our partner The Education Development
Center, Inc. (EC) based in Newton. This
grant will enable CTI preschool teachers
to focus on enhancing children’s
language, cognitive, and early reading
skills so critical to school readiness
and academic success. The grant will
provide professional development for
teachers, early language and reading
development, instructional materials, and
the opportunity to develop literature
rich environments. The Early Reading
First Grant will also allow CTI to
enhance our programming by integrating
scientifically based reading research
into all aspects of the program. And, the
grant will allow CTI to expand family
partnerships and involvement in the
reading and learning process of their
children, which are so critical to later
school success.”
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